Black Panther Movie Takeover

Join us for a fascinating evening as we enjoy and experience one of the first majority African and African-American cast and Hero in Marvel history. This is a celebration and showing of support using our dollars to show Hollywood that black actors can engage a following with high box office numbers as well as other cultures. Let's have a great evening of fun and enjoy this action packed film together! Meet us at the theater early.

A few event highlights

Movie History:

Black Panther is an upcoming American superhero film based on the Marvel Comics character of the same name. Produced by Marvel Studios and distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures, it is intended to be the eighteenth film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The film is directed by Ryan Coogler from a screenplay by him and Joe Robert Cole, and stars Chadwick Boseman as T'Challa / Black Panther alongside Michael B. Jordan, Lupita Nyong'o, Danai Gurira, Martin Freeman, Daniel Kaluuya, Letitia Wright, Winston Duke, Angela Bassett, Forest Whitaker, and Andy Serkis. In Black Panther, T'Challa returns home as king of Wakanda but finds his sovereignty challenged by a long-time adversary in a conflict that has global consequences.

Movie Synopsis:

After the events of Captain America: Civil War, King T’Challa returns home to Wakanda. But when two enemies conspire to bring down the kingdom, T’Challa must team up, as the Black Panther, with CIA agent Everett K. Ross and members of the Dora Milaje—Wakanda's special forces—to prevent a world war.

Black Panther Movie Opening Fundraiser

Last summer, the NYT wrote about theaters across the country put together female only showings of Wonder Women: "One woman said she came to feel a sisterhood. Another said she was there because in her years as a comic book geek, she had only ever watched superhero movies surrounded by guys. Yet another came because she didn’t want to overhear fanboys cracking wise about Gal Gadot’s physique, or, for that matter, that of any other woman onscreen." (Read the rest of the article here)

It got me thinking.... It's no secret that many cities across the country are struggling with segregation and the Hudson Valley is no different. More than that, there is a lack of friendly spaces for POC to live, create, meet, organize, and just be. That's why groups like Black and Brown have cropped up and why TMI Project created their Black Stories Matter program. While the recent redlining scandal at Ulster Savings Bank may have been a shock to some people, for long time residents of color it was just another example, stretching back to the 70s when they were pushed off the waterfront, of how they have been marginalized and made invisible.

Physical space aside, the media has done no better. Some you may have heard me speak during the TMI Project event - Black Stories Matter. I spoke of growing up and watching the black characters die first - always. I spoke about watching that change with shows like Luke Cage and how that felt to be able to watch that with my son. I spoke about super heroes, black super heroes, like my grandmother. But I also spoke about how I miss going to a movie theater filled with black people. My people. The feeling of being in majority for something so simple as watching a movie. Growing up further south of here in Mt. Vernon I was able to have this experience, but here in Kingston - not so much.